Blt And E With Harissa Mayo

The war on clutter continues.  Victory is in sight but still about a week away.  Tonight, I deliver a blow that I consider more of a stalemate.  I used a jar of harissa from the pantry I bought a while ago, but since I didn't finish it, it moved from a pantry combatant to a refrigerator combatant.  But I do not despair, one day soon, I will finish him off!  I did deviate a bit on this one.  I don't care much for the frisee or radicchio called for, and I had arugula so I used it.  I think I will use arugula for all future BLTs.  It was yummy!  I also used an extra tsp of the harissa.  My jar was not very hot, and I thought it could use some extra.  In fact we spooned some of the straight harissa on to the sandwich,  but I was under the impression it was pretty fiery usually.  I haven't cooked with it before, but I have had it in restaurants; sometimes the dish was hot, sometimes not.   I also forgot the shallot.  I didn't miss it, but I don't think it would have been bad.  I did screw one thing up, I forgot to set the timer on the eggs and the yellows were not very runny.  While I was disappointed, (because a runny yellow is one of the most delicious things ever) it was still a really tasty dish!  If you want, you could make this pork free, or vegetarian  by using turkey or veggie bacon.  It was really easy and fast too.  If your dinner hour is particularly rushed, you could make the mayo and cut the veggies ahead of time.


Blt And E With Harissa Mayo
makes 2 sandwiches

2    Tbs. mayonnaise
1 t  harissa
4 sl bacon
1    Tbs. plus 1 tsp. cider vinegar
2    eggs
2/3 c  lightly packed shredded lettuce
1 t  minced shallot
1/2 t  extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Four 1/2-inch slices good-quality sandwich bread
1    small ripe tomato,thinly sliced
[Note: Tip: Harissa is a chile-and-spice paste that hails from North
Africa. For a slightly different effect, you could substitute a mild
Thai curry paste or other Asian chile.  ]
Combine the mayonnaise and harissa in a small bowl and stir until
blended. Set aside.
Cut the bacon in half crosswise, arrange in a medium skillet, and put
the skillet over medium heat. Cook, turning the bacon frequently, until
cooked through and crispy but still a little chewy, about 8 minutes.
Transfer to a paper towel lined plate and set aside.
Bring about 4 cups of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Lower the
heat to a bare simmer and add ?1 tablespoon of the vinegar. Crack an
egg into a small cup or ramekin and, holding the cup just above the
surface of the water, carefully pour the egg into the water. Repeat
with the second egg. Cook the eggs until the whites have cooked through
but the yolk is still runny, 2 to 3 minutes. (To check, carefully lift
an egg out of the water with a slotted spoon. Prod the white it should
feel firm and bouncy all the way through.) With a slotted spoon,
transfer the eggs to another paper towel lined plate.

In a small bowl, combine the frisee or radicchio, ( or the arugula in my case) the remaining 1
teaspoon vinegar, the shallot, and the olive oil. Sprinkle with a pinch
of salt and pepper and toss to blend.
Toast or grill the bread to your liking, then spread the mayo evenly
over two pieces. Top with the bacon, tomato, frisee, and egg. Sprinkle
the egg with a little salt and pepper, then top with the other two
pieces of bread.

Serve right away